Isogenic strain construction and gene mapping in Candida albicans.

Foreign gene expression in yeast: a review.

Candida albicans is the most common fungal pathogen of humans and has developed an extensive repertoire of putative virulence mechanisms that allows successful colonization and infection of the host under suitable predisposing conditions. Extracellular proteolytic activity plays a central role in Candida pathogenicity and is produced by a family of 10 secreted aspartyl proteinases (Sap proteins). Although the consequences of proteinase secretion during human infections is not precisely known, in vitro, animal, and human studies have implicated the proteinases in C. albicans virulence in one of the following seven ways: (i) correlation between Sap production in vitro and Candida virulence, (ii) degradation of human proteins and structural analysis in determining Sap substrate specificity, (iii) association of Sap production with other virulence processes of C. albicans, (iv) Sap protein production and Sap immune responses in animal and human infections, (v) SAP gene expression during Candida infections, (vi) modulation of C. albicans virulence by aspartyl proteinase inhibitors, and (vii) the use of SAP-disrupted mutants to analyze C. albicans virulence. Sap proteins fulfill a number of specialized functions during the infective process, which include the simple role of digesting molecules for nutrient acquisition, digesting or distorting host cell membranes to facilitate adhesion and tissue invasion, and digesting cells and molecules of the host immune system to avoid or resist antimicrobial attack by the host. We have critically discussed the data relevant to each of these seven criteria, with specific emphasis on how this proteinase family could contribute to Candida virulence and pathogenesis.

Candida albicans Secreted Aspartyl Proteinases in Virulence and Pathogenesis

Microbial alkaline proteases: From a bioindustrial viewpoint

The biotechnological utilization of cheese whey: A review

Many species of yeast secrete significant amounts of protease(s). In this article, results of numerous surveys of yeast extracellular protease production have been compiled and inconsistencies in the data and limitations of the methodology have been examined. Regulation, purification, characterization, and processing of yeast extracellular proteases are reviewed. Results obtained from the sequences of cloned genes, especially the Saccharomyces cerevisiae Bar protease, the Candida albicans acid protease, and the Yarrowia lipolytica alkaline protease, have been emphasized. Biotechnological applications and the medical relevance of yeast extracellular proteases are covered. Yeast extracellular proteases have potential in beer and wine stabilization, and they probably contribute to pathogenicity of Candida spp. Yeast extracellular protease genes also provide secretion and processing signals for yeast expression systems designed for secretion of heterologous proteins. Coverage of the secretion of foreign proteases such as prochymosin, urokinase, and tissue plasminogen activator by yeast in included.

Yeast Extracellular Proteases

Summary: Saccharomycopsis lipolytica CX161-1B, a strain suitable for genetic studies, when grown at near neutral pH produced a single alkaline extracellular protease, lower levels of acid extracellular protease(s) and no neutral extracellular protease. The alkaline protease was purified to homogeneity (as determined by polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis) by ultrafiltration, gel filtration and DEAE-cellulose chromatography. The molecular weight of the enzyme was estimated by gel filtration to be 27000-30000, and the isoelectric point was pH5.7. The purified enzyme had an alkaline pH optimum (pH 9–10). It was completely inhibited by phenylmethylsulphonyl fluoride, reversibly inhibited by EDTA, partially inhibited by o-phenanthroline, and not inhibited by dithiothreitol, N-ethylmaleimide or 4-hydroxymercuribenzoic acid, indicating that it is a serine protease. The content of sulphur amino acids was determined, and the purified protease contained no more than 1.8% carbohydrate as determined by the phenol–sulphuric acid method. The N-terminal amino acid sequence (25 residues) was determined; the N-terminal amino acid was alanine.

Alkaline extracellular protease produced by Saccharomycopsis lipolytica CX161-1B.

The availability of a yeast strain which is capable of fermenting lactose and at the same time is tolerant to high concentrations of ethanol would be useful for the production of ethanol from lactose. Kluyveromyces fragilis is capable of fermenting lactose, but it is not as tolerant as Saccharomyces cerevisiae to high concentrations of ethanol. In this study, we have used the protoplast fusion technique to construct hybrids between auxotrophic strains of S. cerevisiae having high ethanol tolerance and an auxotrophic strain of lactose-fermenting K. fragilis isolated by ethyl methanesulfonate mutagenesis. The fusants obtained were prototrophic and capable of assimilating lactose and producing ethanol in excess of 13% (vol/vol). The complementation frequency of fusion was about 0.7%. Formation of fusants was confirmed by the increased amount of chromosomal DNA per cell. Fusants contained 8 x 10 to 16 x 10 mug of DNA per cell as compared with about 4 x 10 mug of DNA per cell for the parental strains, suggesting that multiple fusions had taken place.

https://aem.asm.org/content/aem/51/2/362.full.pdf

Construction of Lactose-Assimilating and High-Ethanol-Producing Yeasts by Protoplast Fusion

Expression, Secretion, and Processing of Rice α-Amylase in the Yeast Yarrowia lipolytica

Yarrowia lipolytica DO613, carrying the xpr6-13 mutation, secretes an inactive precursor of alkaline extracellular protease that has not been cleaved after the Lys-Arg at the end of the pro-region. Compared to wild type, DO613 membrane preparations had significantly reduced ability to cleave after Lys-Arg of an artificial substrate. The XPR6 gene was cloned by complementation by screening for restoration of production of alkaline protease activity. Sequencing of a 3735 base pair SalI-SphI XPR6 fragment revealed a large open reading frame with a coding capacity of 976 amino acids (molecular weight, 110 016). The deduced amino acid sequence had significant homology to Saccharomyces cerevisiae Kex2p, a processing endoprotease that cleaves after pairs of basic amino acids. Disruption of the XPR6 gene was not lethal, but it resulted in several phenotypic changes. First, essentially no mature alkaline extracellular protease was produced indicating that the low levels produced by strains carrying previously isolated xpr6 alleles were due to leaky mutations. Second, mating type B strains carrying the disrupted XPR6 gene did not mate, but mating type A strains did. Third, the XPR6 disruption strains grew poorly on rich media at pH 5·5 and above. Cells remained physically attached after budding and continued to bud forming large dog balloon-like structures. In addition, these structures aggregated forming visible clumps in liquid culture. These growth aberrations were largely eliminated by growing cells in medium at pH 4. Fourth, no mycelial forms were observed regardless of the pH.

David M. Ogrydziak

Papers

Yeast Extracellular Proteases

Alkaline extracellular protease produced by Saccharomycopsis lipolytica CX161-1B.

Construction of Lactose-Assimilating and High-Ethanol-Producing Yeasts by Protoplast Fusion

Expression, Secretion, and Processing of Rice α-Amylase in the Yeast Yarrowia lipolytica

Cloning, nucleotide sequence and functions of XPR6, which codes for a dibasic processing endoprotease from the yeast Yarrowia lipolytica.